Once Upon a Time
by xTongueTied
Summary: SwanQueen. Long-term fiction, starting when Henry finds Emma in Boston. Pretty canon. *I do not own any of the characters*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this is my first fanfic for OUAT. I'm definitely a fan of the series; this will be a SwanQueen story from Emma's POV, starting from the day Henry comes to get her in Boston. The dialogues and story-line pretty much follow the series, though some scenes may be changed. Excuse any grammatical errors – English is not my first language. R&R please. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters and only make them dance for my amusement. Please note though that I have used some of the exact lines said during the first episode. These are obviously not my creation.

And last but not least, a shout-out to my beta MsCalypso. Thanks for always putting up with me.

Chapter 1

Emma Swan closed the door of her apartment behind her. She was exhausted. Quickly, she kicked off her heels and stumbled to the counter in her kitchen, where she gently put her bag of take-out food. She had just been on a 'date', which actually hadn't been a date, just her doing her job. She snickered quietly as she shook her head. She was flabbergasted at the nerve the man had shown; how he'd just betrayed his lovingly wife. But most of all, she was outraged that he had knocked over the table, thus spilling the drinks on her dress, and had then insulted her after she caught him running.

Emma didn't even bother to turn on the lights in her kitchen; she just took out the box of pastries out of its bag and put the sole cupcake on a tiny plate. Next, she fetched little birthday candles from the paper bag. She wasn't feeling very celebratory, as she was once again spending her birthday alone, just like the previous twenty-eight years. A small sigh escaped her as she put the candle into the cupcake, licking some cream of her fingers. She hoped she still had some matches lying in a drawer, or else she'd bought this all for nothing. Grumbling, she rummaged through a few kitchen drawers until she finally found them. With slightly trembling fingers, she managed to stroke the match over the boxes' side. For a moment, Emma stopped and simply stared at the little flame. She knew what she would be wishing for, the same thing as every year: that she would not be alone for her next birthday.

"Another banner year." She closed her eyes and focused on the thought as she inhaled to blow out the candle. As soon as it was unlit, the doorbell rang. The blonde frowned as she got up from her stool. She wasn't expecting anyone. Attentively, she walked to the door, and once more drew a deep breath before she opened it. At first, she was staring right ahead into an empty corridor, but then she finally looked down and saw a little boy staring up at her. She was completely confused. For a little while, Emma just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

"Uhm. Can I help you?" She finally managed, frowning deeper than ever.

"Are you Emma Swan?" He asked. He didn't look older than ten.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"My name's Henry. I'm your son." He smiled at her. Emma blinked. She couldn't believe what she just heard him say. But she was pretty sure that he had said it. Before she was really aware of it, he'd already made his way into her apartment by ducking under her arm.

"Hey, kid. Kid. Kid!" She yelled after him, as she shut the door. "I don't have a son. Where are your parents?" She was starting to panic as Henry looked around her living room.  
Finally, he paused at the counter, where she just had been sitting.

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" She was truly speechless by now. Was he really her son, the one she had given up so many years ago? If he was, what the hell was he doing here? And how on earth did a ten year old kid find her? She usually was very good at staying hidden when she didn't want to be found. But that made her wonder: hadn't she just wished to not be alone anymore? Had she really wanted to stay hidden?

"That was me." Henry said. Emma was shocked now.

"Give me a minute." She finally choked out, and she quickly turned to hide in the bathroom. She started heaving, on the verge of having a panic attack. She couldn't believe what she had just seen, heard and done. Had she really just had a conversation with her son about having given him up for adoption ten years ago? Who the hell would let a kid off to find their birth mother alone? She shook her head, not knowing what to do or think.

"Man up, Swan." She muttered to herself before she returned to her kitchen, where the boy sat sipping a bottle of juice. She blinked.

"We should get going." The kid now said. Again, Emma blinked. What? She crossed her arms before in a defensive demeanor, and raised an eyebrow.

"Going where?" She asked, her tone skeptical.

"I want you to come home with me."

"Okay, kid," She retorted. "I'm calling the cops."

"I'll just tell them you kidnapped me." Of all the things he had said tonight, this was the thing that baffled her the most. He showed up on her doorstep, insisted her to come to his home, and was now threatening to make her the bad guy? Wow, this kid had some nerve. Maybe he was hers after all.  
She picked up the phone and turned to face him.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother." She stated, knowing she had no chance. But then she studied his face carefully, and a gut-feeling told her that he wouldn't ever say that. She smiled.

"Yep." He said victoriously.

"You're not going to do that."

"Try me." He still smiled at her, and Emma now returned the smile.

"You're pretty good. Look, there's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. Let's call it a super power," She had to remind herself that she was talking to a ten year old, so she kept things simple. Super power was something kids understood, right? She honestly thought she was wasting her time here, and that she should just phone the cops and have them take him home. But something prevented her from finally pressing 911 and getting it over with.

"I can tell when anyone is lying, and you, kid, are." She finished, deciding she'd had enough of this.

"Wait. You don't have to call the cops. Please," He pleaded. "Come home with me."

"Where's home?" The twenty-eight year old gave in. It couldn't be that far, since the kid had travelled all by himself.

"Storybrooke, Maine." Okay, she had been mistaken. He had travelled a long way.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" She sighed. He simply nodded. "Alrighty then, let's get you back to.. Storybrooke." She shook her head and left the room to change out of her stained dress, and into something more comfortable.

The drive to Henry's town had been awkward. And maybe 'awkward' was an understatement, because it had been bizarre, too. He had rambled on about a book full of fairytales, and was convinced that the people in his town were people from the fairytales. Only, they didn't realize they were. According to Henry, they had lost their memories – because the Evil Queen had cursed them. She didn't believe a word of it, but she did believe that the kid had either a problem or a vivid imagination. She concentrated on the road and almost succeeded in ignoring the fact that she was driving her ten-year old kid to a town she'd never heard of. The trip edged 'ridiculous' when Henry told Emma that she was in the book too. She? Emma Swan? A fairytale character? Hilarious. It took all she had not to just snort at the kid's words. Thankfully, it didn't take them too long to arrive in Storybrooke. But her son wasn't done with his little games yet; next, he refused to tell her where he lived. Furiously, she stomped on her brakes and got out of the car, only to bump into Henry's shrink, Archie. But Henry claimed him to be Jiminy Cricket. If the whole situation hadn't seemed crazy to Emma before, it surely did now.

"You've got problems, kid," The blonde mumbled after they'd finally gotten back into her car.

"Yep, and you're going to fix them." If Emma hadn't been so irritated with him, she'd probably had laughed at his boldness. At least the whole encounter with 'Jiminy Cricket' had resulted in her finding out where the kid lived. The Mayor's house. Seriously. Emma had a feeling she'd be in a lot of trouble. The fricken Mayor. She shook her head visibly.  
They pulled up at a huge house, surrounded by an equally huge hedge. Probably to keep out curious outsiders, and to keep the garden quiet and private. Emma liked it.

"Come on." She mumbled to Henry as she got out of the car. She waited for him before the gate, and opened it as soon as he was by her side.

"Please don't take me back there," Henry whined, half-begging.

"Your parents will be worried sick about you." The blonde retorted, eager to get the kid off her hands. It was insane that she hadn't just called up the cops.

"I don't have parents," Henry said. "Just a mom, and she's evil." Emma almost rolled her eyes at him. She paused and turned to him, her face obviously skeptical as she stared down on him.

"Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" She snorted.

"She is. She doesn't love me, she only pretends to." The kid sounded really sad now, and the twenty-eight-year old almost felt sorry for him. She crouched down to his level, and looked him in the eye.

"Kid…" She started. "I'm sure that's not true –"  
Before she could continue to comfort the little boy, the door opened. A dark-haired, tall woman hurried outside, her face full of concern. Emma got up and stared; this had to be Henry's adoptive mother – and the Mayor. She was impressed, the woman couldn't be older than thirty. At all. She studied the Mayor's face with interest. She was truly stunning. Emma blinked at these thoughts.

"Henry?!" She ran towards him, her arms already outstretched to hug him. The blonde was impressed, because the woman was wearing quite high heels – and she didn't even stumble once as she ran. In the doorway, a man stood watching. Emma paid little attention to him as she watched Henry not really return the hug to his mother.

"Are you okay?" The Mayor asked, voice a little hoarse. Emma found it pleasant to listen to.

"Where have you been?! What happened?" Henry's mother finally looked at the blonde, but quickly returned her gaze upon Henry.

"I found my REAL mom!" He said, before running past Emma, his mother and the man in the doorway. The Mayor finally turned to Emma, she was obviously impatient to hear an explanation for all of this. Emma Swan just stared into the woman's dark brown eyes, not sure what to say. All she saw in those dark pools was hurt and sadness. She really felt sorry for the woman, even though she didn't know her.

"You – you're Henry's birth mother?" The Mayor finally managed. Emma was late to register the question, as she was still mesmerized by the woman's beauty. She swallowed.

"Hi." Emma Swan said, feeling a little desperate. She really didn't mean to interfere in their lives at all. She never meant to meet her son.


	2. Chapter 2

***I do not own any of these characters. If there are any dialogues taken from the episodes literally, I do not own these either.***

Chapter 2

The next thing Emma knew was waking up in a cell. Confused, she pushed herself up from the bed. What in hell was she doing on a poorly made bed in a cell? Was she still in Storybrooke?

"Ow," She muttered, once she sat up straight. Her head felt very heavy, and her forehead pounded painfully. She probably had smashed it against something. She blinked a few times before she took the time to check her surroundings. Yep, definitely a cell.

"Good morning, babe," A grumpy-sounding voice said. The blonde turned her head and saw a man sitting in the cell next to her.

"Leroy, don't be rude." Another voice said, thick with an Italian accent. She was thoroughly confused now. How had she gotten here?  
By the time she got the strength to stand up, ready to ask questions, the sheriff had already arrived.

"Mayor Mills drinks can be quite.. strong." He said; his expression clearly amused. Emma frowned. That wasn't what happened. She vaguely remembered driving back to the town's borders, only to notice that Henry had left his book in the car. She admired that little kid's trickeries.

"No!" She now said, shaking her head fiercely. "There was a wolf. I slipped."  
The man in the cell next to hers and the sheriff both laughed.

"There are no wolves here, little miss," the other prisoner said.

"Leroy, I can let you out if you stop being so rude." Sheriff Graham reprimanded him. Leroy simply rolled his eyes and waited for the Sheriff to open up his cell.

Emma Swan let herself fall back onto the bed as she pained herself into remembering the previous night. So far, she only remembered little things, such as driving Henry to this damned town. She cursed herself inwardly. Why had she let that kid bully her into coming here? It had only brought on bad things. There had been drinks at the Mayor's house too… Introductions with Regina Mills, a drink, a discussion about parenthood…  
But nothing that could indicate that Emma in fact had been drunk when she started her journey back to Boston. So the wolf couldn't be a fiction of her imagination. She already felt irritated with the Sheriff. Shouldn't he at least check if there was a wolf nearby? I mean, he should guarantee the safety of this town's people, no? Emma huffed visibly, but got no reaction from Graham other than a smile.

"Graham! He's missing again!" The voice came from the hall, but Emma easily recognized it. Mayor Mills, no doubt. And soon, the woman burst through the door, clearly panicking. It was strange that she actually recognized the voice, having only heard it once before. She pursed her lips as she watched Regina Mills from her cell. Graham jumped up and was at the Mayor's side in no time.

"Wait. Graham, what is she still doing here?" Regina had just spotted the blonde in the cell.

"Believe me, I have no intention on still being here," Emma grumbled in response, venturing to the cell's door now. "But wait – is Henry missing? Again?"

The twenty-eight-year old did all she could to make her comment less mocking. What kind of mother lost her son – twice? Either Regina wasn't a good mother, or the kid was really clever for his age.  
Regina and Graham decided to ignore her as the brunette explained to the sheriff what happened. Emma rolled her eyes. Surely, she could find the kid in no time.

"Check his friends." The blonde commented from her cell, hopefully earning a release from her prison with that.

"He doesn't have many friends, Miss Swan," Regina spat back at her.

Emma frowned. A loner, huh? Just like her. Maybe that kid had inherited more from her than would be good for him.

"Just check his computer." Emma shrugged, as if the solution was logical. That's the first thing she did when she wanted to find someone.

"This is absolutely none of your business!" Regina bit curtly.

Emma wasn't surprised with that answer. After all, she didn't really want to get involved in all this drama; if she lost Henry, she should get him back herself.

"Actually, Madam Mayor, it's a good idea," Graham tried carefully. He was obviously scared of the Mayor, and Emma couldn't blame him. The woman was drop dead gorgeous, and seriously intimidating. The blonde pursed her lips as she saw the brunette hesitate. But Graham took the opportunity and walked over to Emma's cell, keys already in hand. Emma grinned widely.

"Fine. But you better come with us," Regina sounded angry. The twenty-eight-year old rolled her eyes quite obviously, and stormed out of the cell, happy to be out.

She had sat in front of Henry's computer for about five minutes, when she realized that it had been a bad idea to join the search hunt. Regina was impatient and the kid was obviously clever. Deleted search history, wonderful. Emma sighed heavily. She'd hoped to get this over with fast, so she could return to Boston right after. Instead, she had to pull out every trick in the book to find the kid. Ten years old, for god's sake. Mayor Mills hovered right behind her, and normally the blonde would already have made a comment about it; she didn't really like people being so close to her. But somehow, she didn't mind that Regina was standing so close to her. Probably because she understood the worry the woman felt – she was feeling it too. She didn't really know the kid, but still… He was hers after all.

"Got it." Emma said, overlooking the sites he had visited recently. Apparently, he had used a site to find her, and she was amused. A kid with a credit card? High expenses, too, and all of that just to find her. She couldn't help but feel a little flattered – nobody had ever gone through that much trouble to find her. Especially Henry's father hadn't looked for her – ever.

"Who is Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Emma asked quietly, proud of her son that he hadn't used Regina's.

"His teacher." Was the response the brunette gave her.

The blonde had followed Regina out all the way to the school where Mary Margaret Blanchard taught classes. She kept her distance as the Mayor stormed ahead. Emma made a mental note that it was better not to cross Regina Mills – ever. She paused at the door, especially when she heard the dark haired woman rage to another. She felt sorry for the unknown figure, and wanted to interfere. Obviously, Miss Blanchard had no idea that the card had been stolen from her. She couldn't imagine that a teacher would do that. And as she listened to the woman defending herself, her gut-feeling told her that Mary Margaret was telling nothing but the truth.  
Emma walked into the classroom now, but kept close by the door. She frowned. The Mayor really was being unnecessarily harsh, especially when Mary Margaret mentioned giving the book to Henry.

"Why does everyone keep blabbering about this... book? What is it?" The Mayor sounded exasperated, and the blonde couldn't blame her. If she had raised Henry and discovered in front of strangers that she knew so little about him…

"It's just a book of fairy tales." Emma quickly said, hoping to soothe Regina. Unfortunately.  
She watched Regina storm out of the classroom, probably to return to the sheriff's. In her anger, she knocked over some boxes, and Emma hurried to help pick up the things that had fallen out. Mary Margaret simply sighed and moved over, too.

"Why'd you give him the book?" The twenty-eight year old asked quietly. In her opinion, it had only caused trouble, and she couldn't quite understand the meaning behind the teacher's actions.

"He's lonely. He needed it." The woman smiled sweetly, and Emma couldn't help but return the smile.

"But still…" Emma mused.

"He needs hope. He really has a hard life." The teacher motioned her to follow, and together they walked out of the classroom.

"I understand that. Mayor Mills is…" She didn't finish her sentence, because she didn't know how to describe Regina. She was hard, but also.. So fragile. And beautiful. And sad. Emma decided to keep quiet and let Mary Margaret finish that thought herself.

"It's not just that, you see. He really struggles with.. What every adopted child struggles with, I would guess. He really wonders why on earth he was given up." The teacher had barely finished her sentence, or she already clamped her hand over her mouth. The words stung a little bit, but Emma couldn't blame her. She couldn't blame Henry. She wondered the same thing.

"I am so sorry!" They had stopped walking, and the blonde was looking at her feet. Her shoulders were a little slumped, as if she were wearing the weight of Miss Blanchard's words.

"It's okay." The blonde finally breathed.

"Look, I just wanted Henry have faith. I wanted him to believe in a happy ending."

"Do you know where he is?" Mary Margaret Blanchard nodded, and told Emma where she could find the kid.

And Henry's teacher had been right. She found him in his castle, in plain view for everyone to see. She wondered why his mother hadn't thought of this place first; but then she grasped that Regina probably didn't know of its existence. Emma sighed and fetched the book from her back seat, and made her way to the tiny playground. She wanted to get going, so she hurried.

"Hey, kid." She said, as she sat herself down beside him. She handed him the book, and smiled at him.

"You shouldn't run away this much, you know." She said, trying to sound like a mother. But who was she kidding? She didn't know how to be a mother. That's why she gave him up in the first place, and she hadn't regretted her decision ever since.

"I don't want to live with my mom. She's evil." Henry said, once more.

"No, she's not. She's just trying her best to give you a good life. There's nothing wrong with that, kid," Emma sighed. She couldn't believe that Regina Mills was evil.

"Yes, she is! And you're supposed to defeat her, you're the savior!" The kid really didn't give up, and Emma simply frowned.

"You feel guilty because you gave me up, but I understand why you did it. You wanted to give me a better life, just like Snow White and Prince Charming wanted to when they gave you up!" Henry continued, getting heated up in the discussion. This time, Emma laughed out loud.

"I'm sorry, what? I'm not Snow White's and Prince Charming's child," She didn't even try to keep the mock from her voice. "And I'm definitely not the savior. So let's get you back to your mother."

She didn't await his retort, and got up. She heard him scramble up behind her as she walked to her yellow Beagle, and waited for him to get in. During the drive there, they were both silent. She was convinced that the kid had some real problems, and she wasn't the one to fix them; but she could at least pass on the word to his mother.

As she pulled up for the second time in two days now, the door was already opening. Henry bolted from the car and straight up to his room, so Emma braced herself for the clash with his mother. She walked up to the door slowly, figuring she'd better stall for a little while.

"Thank you," Regina Mills was the first to speak. Emma had avoided her gaze by looking at the ground, but the soft and sincere tone made her look up. It startled her, even. The blonde simply smiled.

"I know he thinks I'm evil," The dark-haired woman sighed. "And that I don't love him. I'm a failure as a mother. He just keeps running away and I don't know what to do."

The twenty-eight-year old felt truly sorry for the woman in front of her. The Mayor sat down on the front steps at her door, and she followed, quickly sitting down next to Regina. Carefully, she placed a hand on the other woman's arm.

"It's just because of that book, Madam Mayor," She commented politely. "He thinks we are fairy tale characters." She shook her head to show her disapproval to the Mayor.

"Don't take it personally. You are a strong, independent and beautiful woman," She continued. "There's nothing wrong with trying to give your son the best he deserves."

Regina now looked at her, and smiled. Emma had never seen a smile as beautiful, and she returned the smile, feeling a blush rushing up to her cheeks. She felt particularly safe in the company of the woman, no matter how intimidating she looked and sounded to the people around her.

"You know… All my life I've felt so alone, and yesterday, on my birthday… I wished not to be alone. And Henry showed up." Sh1e whispered quietly, her green eyes now staring at her feet again. At this point, Regina openly stared at her, she felt it. Emma cleared her throat and got up, ready to get going.

"Miss Swan, you better return to Boston." The Mayor said, as she walked up to her front door. Emma shot her a confused look.

"Don't be mistaken; you are not invited back into Henry's life. I'm his mother, not you."  
The warning hung in the sky. And in that very moment, Emma Swan decided to stay in Storybrooke. For Henry. For herself.

* * *

Emma Swan's first meeting with Mr. Gold, the town owner, had been spooky. She wasn't sure of what to think about the man. Granny and Ruby certainly seemed afraid of him, eager to usher him out the door. But Mr. Gold had taken a strange interest in Emma, and had regarded her as if she were some prize. It had sent shivers down her spine to watch him look at her like that; she was quite sure that she had never seen him before, but he seemed to know her… As soon as he had walked out the door, she had felt a lot better. She shrugged it off and booked a room; something that hadn't been done in quite some time, according to Ruby. This was something Emma found even stranger than Mr. Gold.

When she woke up in a bed that wasn't hers, it took her some time to remind herself that she wasn't in Boston anymore. She wasn't sure if it felt pleasant being here, but it didn't feel unpleasant either. She decided to stay in bed for a little while longer before she ventured out to the town. She hadn't actually seen much of it yet. Unfortunately, someone else had other intentions with her morning: she had only barely laid herself back on the bed, when someone knocked.  
Grunting a little, she got up. Another knock made clear that the person on the other side of the door was impatient. Not bothering to put on pants – Emma had slept in her white top and underwear, not having packed any pajamas – she rushed to the door. She took a breath – opening doors had given her quite some surprises yesterday – and finally unlocked it. She was baffled to see the Mayor standing there.

"Yes?" She said. She didn't even wonder how on earth the brunette knew that she was here. That woman seemed to know everything, which – in the blonde's opinion – only meant that she was good at doing her job. She felt oddly exposed, standing there in her underwear as the older woman raked her eyes up and down her body. Emma swallowed. She didn't catch any of the babbling Regina uttered; something about trees and apples. She could only stare at the beautiful woman before her. Mayor Mills offered her a blood-red apple from the basket she was carrying, and hesitantly Emma took it.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy these on your drive home." Regina Mills ended her speech with a broad smile. The twenty-eight-year old cleared her throat nervously, finally tearing her eyes away from the Mayor.

"Actually… I'm not going anywhere." The blonde, too, smiled.

"I don't think you should. For my son's sake; you confuse him." Regina's demeanor instantly changed from friendly into hostile. Emma couldn't quite understand where the hatred came from; hadn't she offered her support to this woman just the night before, assuring her that Henry loved her? But Regina had driven her away, just as she was trying to now. The brunette obviously had some serious issues, and it made the blonde all the more curious to find out what they were. Nonetheless, she could read between the lines and immediately grasped the subtle threats the Mayor was giving her.

"I'm sorry, but nothing you say will make me want to leave. In fact, you're giving me more reasons to stay. For Henry." The blonde kept her tone as calm as she could.

"My son is perfectly fine. He's being taken care of."

This only made Emma Swan raise an eyebrow. What in hell did that mean? Taken care of? It sounded.. creepy.  
"He is fine. He's in therapy. You don't need to meddle; I am his mother, I know what's best for him." The Mayor continued, ready to turn away from Emma.

"I'm starting to doubt that." Emma said then, clearly angering Regina Mills.

With a last threat 'to not underestimate her', the brunette stormed off. Exhaling heavily, Emma Swan closed the door, shutting out their little confrontation from her mind.

Having pondered over her confrontation with Regina Mills for a while, the blonde thought it was time to get some fresh air. She hadn't really had her coffee yet, and found herself yearning for some. She got up to get on the pair of jeans she was wearing yesterday – as she hadn't brought any other clothes from home. She hadn't exactly anticipated staying in Storybrooke. Finding her top pretty much presentable, she decided to keep it on. She still had a blouse in her car, so she could always get that later. Right before she left her little room, she grabbed an apple. Something to fill her stomach couldn't hurt, she thought. She pulled on her red leather jacket, and made her way to the diner.

A little while later, she found herself sitting at the counter in Granny's Diner, a mug of hot coco on top. She frowned.

"I didn't order this." She explained to Ruby, who was still standing in front of her.

"I know. Someone did for you." She winked, obviously more excited than Emma was. The younger woman shot a look at someone behind her, and Emma turned with a sigh. Sheriff Graham. Perfect.  
Begrudgingly, she slipped off her stool, mug in hand, and put it before him on his table. She was impressed though, that he had guessed that she liked cinnamon. He made a stupid joke about her crashing into the town sign, and she simply rolled her eyes.

"Uhm, thanks for the coco – but no thanks." She said, not wanting to bother with him any longer.

"That's.. not mine." He said, almost looking sorry. Emma raised an eyebrow. This was unexpected.

"I ordered that." A voice said. The blonde turned, not really all that surprised to see Henry.

"Don't you have to be at school or something?" She wondered out loud, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Not if you don't take me." Was his smug reply. Once more, the twenty-eight-year old sighed. Wasn't she ever going to get rid of the kid? Seriously, couldn't Regina be a better mother to him?

Emma Swan walked Henry Mills to school. She felt awkward doing so; it was the closest they had been to the mother-son bond since they've known each other. This was, as Emma really thought about it, only just a day. Involuntarily, she shook her head. This was about the most bizarre situation she had ever found herself in, and she'd been in a lot of weird situations. Absent-mindedly, she finally brought the blood-red apple she'd been carrying to her mouth, ready to take a bite.

"Hey!" Henry yelled, and she looked to her side. "Where'd you get that?"

"Eh. Your mother gave it to me this morning?" She explained, her tone unsure. Was there something wrong about that? The kid simply yanked the apple from her hand and threw it over her shoulder, mumbling something about 'never accept apples from the Evil Queen'.  
All the while, Henry kept babbling about something he'd dubbed 'Operation Cobra', and that everyone in the town was a fairy tale character. Emma still couldn't believe him, especially the part about her being Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter. Freaky.

"I knew you'd believe me!" Henry yelled as he ran into the school abruptly, snapping Emma out of her thoughts.

"I never said I did!" She yelled back.

"You wouldn't have stayed." His smile was so wide that Emma Swan couldn't help but smile back at him as she watched him leave. She nodded at Mary Margaret Blanchard, who was making sure all the kids left for their classes. After the school ground was empty, the teacher made her way over to the blonde, smiling.

"So, you've decided to stay?" Mary Margaret's voice shot up at the end, as if she were asking a question, but the women both knew that it wasn't a question. Of course Emma stayed. She nodded.

"Does his mother know?" The teacher then asked carefully. Again, the blonde nodded.

"Yeah… She's really something." Emma muttered, feeling that it couldn't quite cover what Regina really was. She'd seen so many glimpses of the many sides the Mayor had already, and it had her completely mesmerized over it.

"I can't imagine how she got elected, though?" The twenty-eight-year old frowned upon it, yeah, because it seemed so unlikely. The older woman was so… unsocial. Cruel, too, at times. She never imagined the people of Storybrooke willingly voting for the brunette.

"Regina Mills has been Mayor for as long as I can remember," Miss Blanchard mused. "It's just the way it's always been."

That comment made Emma think. Hadn't Henry said something just like it?

"I'm afraid I've only made her more fearful. Henry now thinks she's the Evil Queen."

"So, who does Henry think you are?" The blonde changed the subject into something lighter; all these talks about Regina being fearful were creeping her out.

"Ah," Mary Margaret said, obviously feeling embarrassed. "Snow White. It's.. ridiculous."

Emma couldn't think of a response; she was shocked. Didn't Henry insist that she's Snow White's daughter? Highly unlikely, but still.

Hours later, she was standing in the Sheriff's office for the second time around.  
Arrested, again.  
Emma grumbled loudly. It was clearly a set-up, Regina pulling all the strings. She couldn't believe she actually fell for it; normally she saw through these tricks. But she had been so eager to find out about Henry, that she had just accepted the file Archie had given her. So much for him being Jiminy Cricket. That had been devilish.

"I swear to God, I didn't steal that damned file!" She tried again, her face flustered with anger. Graham simply grinned. This only angered the blonde more; he was taking mug shots of her, ready to throw her in a cell, and she was innocent. Not that he cared. He, too, was a puppet of Mayor Mills. No matter what, she was going to get the brunette back for this. She would never let someone walk over her like that. And how dared that Sheriff arrest her and still flirt with her at the same time? This town was so wicked, it confused her. Emma Swan visibly rolled her eyes. Just as she was going to tell him that he, too, was a puppet to Regina Mills' power, Henry ran in.

"Kid!" The blonde said, "What on earth are you doing here?" She couldn't believe that the ten-year-old succeeding in skipping class. Even she was never that good. Kid had skills. She couldn't help but be impressed. But then Mary Margaret Blanchard followed him in, and Emma felt relieved. Okay, he was still supervised – something Regina couldn't get back at her for.

"Miss Blanchard is going to bail you out," Henry grinned widely, his eyes visibly hinting at the teacher. Not that Snow White-crap again, Emma thought. She'd never believe that the young woman standing there so shyly was her mother.

"But.. Why? You don't know me," Emma couldn't help but whisper. Mary Margaret simply shrugged.

"I don't know," She replied in all honesty. "I just trust you, I guess."

The twenty-eight-year old simply blinked. Mary Margaret then continued, and explained that his mother came to school to explain what happened. Emma wasn't surprised in the slightest bit; of course this would be used against her. Suddenly, she feared that the kid may think badly of her, and she already opened her mouth to tell him that whatever the Mayor had told him – that it probably wasn't true. But before she could even form a sentence in her head, he had already hugged her. Flabbergasted, she patted him on the back awkwardly.

"You're a genius." He gushed. "I know you were gathering information for Operation Cobra. Awesome!"

This.. thing couldn't get any weirder. Was this her son over-idolizing her? No matter, Emma thought it was time to get back at Regina Mills. She smiled sweetly as she outstretched her arms for Sheriff Graham to un-cuff her. Now, where to get a chainsaw to tear down that precious tree the Mayor had gushed about?

Emma Swan had decided to only cut off a large branch from the tree – because, well, tearing it down completely was such a shame. The tree was magnificent, and its fruit beautiful. She could see why the brunette was so fond of it; nevertheless, her revenge had to be completed. Just as she had sown through it, and threw the chainsaw to the ground, she heard the back door slam shut.

"What on _earth_ are you doing?!" She heard the Mayor's hoarse voice scream. Emma grinned.

"Want to mess with me? Fine, go ahead. But leave Henry out of this. This is between me and you, and if you think you can take me on, you're mistaken. Your move, _Madam Mills_." The blonde bit back at the older woman viciously. With those words, she stormed off.


	3. Chapter 3

***I do not own any of these characters. If there are any dialogues taken from the episodes literally, I do not own these either.***

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Thanks for reading this, everyone. Don't hesitate to leave me some feedback; things you'd like to see differently; remarks you have.

Chapter 3

If Emma Swan thought she had finished the war between her and Regina Mills, she was clearly mistaken. The Mayor had continued to show her power to the blonde by having her thrown out of her little room at Granny's Bed & Breakfast, and if that weren't enough, Emma found a wheel clamp on her car. She didn't quite care that she didn't have a place to stay, but her precious car? That was one bridge too far. That yellow Bug was the thing she loved the most! Frustrated, she kicked against the curb. How could that woman be such a pain in the ass?! And as she was making up a plan to get the brunette back once more, she began to wonder. Was this worth it? Of course not. She did this for Henry. But it was the kid that actually suffered because of this. And she didn't want to hurt him; she'd already abandoned him when he was born, she shouldn't be the person to mentally torture him now.  
She sighed.

Her cell phone rang. Which was strange, since she didn't give many people her number; but perhaps it was work finally catching up on her. She pulled the device from her pocket, not recognizing the number on the display screen.

"Hello?" She said, wondering who it could be.  
Regina.  
God damn it, that woman could get her hands on anything. Angered that the brunette had found her number somewhere, Emma considered just hanging up on her. But when she heard the Mayor ask her if she could come over 'to bury the hatchet', she hesitated. Perhaps that was for the best. In any way, it would be better for the kid.

"You can find me at my office," Regina continued without even waiting for an answer from Emma. Again, the blonde felt a pang of annoyance at the older woman's assumption that she would turn up.

"You can drive here. Or.. Walk. Whatever suits you." With a click, the Mayor ended the call, and Emma groaned in frustration. That stupid bitch was gloating, on top of everything. She kicked the curb again, and started walking. She'd better get this over with soon.

While he Mayor's office was not as impressive as her house, it was still.. pretty huge. Emma Swan felt a little intimidated by the power it showed. Driven by her anger, she let herself in and walked into the office, not bothering to go through all the formalities.

"Why, come on in, Miss Swan," Mayor Mills snickered as she looked up at the younger woman before her. Emma just narrowed her eyes at the brunette, clearly not amused.

"Cut the crap, _Madam Mills_," She spat through gritted teeth. What was she here for? Another plan by the Mayor? "What am I here for?"

"Ah," Regina smiled, getting up from her chair and walking to the little lounge in her office. She sat down in her favorite armchair and motioned for the other woman to take place as well.

"I think it's time we stop this.. thing we have going on. This isn't good for my son." The brunette kept her tones light and friendly, waving her hand through the air matter-of-factly. But the twenty-eight-year old was still wary. The older woman had this possessiveness around her that kept her at the edge of her chair. She didn't like the 'my son', at all. But still, she kept her mouth shut for Regina to finish. When she didn't, the blonde shifted her weight awkwardly. Her gut-feeling told her that the other wasn't lying to her, so Emma dared to trust her.

"Look… I'm not here to yank him away from you. That is no intention of mine." She assured the Mayor, who seemed to lighten up at those words. Encouraged by this, the blonde continued.

"I'm just worried about his. All these fantasies regarding his book… Thinking that everyone in this town is a fairy tale character, that's just _wrong_. Even a little crazy, if I dare say." She bit her lip, as her green eyes watched the other's face carefully. Unexpectedly, Regina Mills stared grinning widely.

"You think I'm crazy?" She heard a voice behind her say. Emma felt her heart drop into her stomach, and she turned.

"Henry!" She tried apologetically, but he had already run away. "You did this." She turned back to the brunette, who was gloating once again. "You knew he'd be here."

"Of course. He's _my son_; I always know where he is."

That was it for Emma Swan. She didn't want to stay in Storybrooke anymore; to hell with the stupid town. All she had gotten since she arrived here was trouble. Not even her guilt for abandoning her kid could make her stay anymore. She bit her lip – she knew what she had to do: pay her debt to Mary Margaret Blanchard and get the hell out of here.

"Hi," The blonde said as soon as the teacher opened her front door. She offered a small smile as she held out an envelope to the woman in front of her. "It's the money I owe you."  
Miss Blanchard took it, frowning a little. Emma nodded in goodbye, but was still hesitating. She had a long drive ahead of her, and she was leaving without saying goodbye to her son. Maybe saying goodbye to the teacher would ease her guilt a little.

"You look like you could use someone to talk to." Mary Margaret stated, already opening up the door wider to let the blonde in.

They sat themselves at the kitchen table in Mary Margaret's apartment, and Emma sighed. The teacher got up again to make two cups of hot coco, while the twenty-eight-year old simply stared at her clenched fists. The way Regina Mills had tricked her had been so unfair; she knew she shouldn't have let her guard down in that woman's company… But there just was something about the Mayor that she couldn't explain. She started to think that she had to separate Regina Mills from Mayor Mills. She couldn't yet decide which of the personalities was Henry's mother.  
Emma mumbled a simple 'thanks' when she was presented the hot coco, and warmed her hands around it. They still remained silence, the teacher obviously waiting for the blonde to start talking. Instead, Emma took a sip. She smiled at the taste of cinnamon. Everyone in this town seemed to be doing that.

"Cinnamon?" She decided to comment it, casually.

"Oh, sorry," Miss Blanchard excused herself. "Perhaps I should have asked. It's a habit."

"No, I like it. Thank you." Emma assured her. "So ehm, when you bailed me out… You said you trust me." It wasn't a question, but it was implied. The teacher, too, took a sip; she seemed to mull over the words in her head.

"Yeah, I know it seems odd," Again, Miss Blanchard seemed to apologize. "I've just had the feeling I've met you before. I know that's crazy."  
Emma Swan nodded. This town was all about strange things.

"I'm starting to re-evaluate my definition of crazy, though," Emma admitted. There were so many things that couldn't be explained – already.

"For what it's worth, I think you're innocent."

Emma smiled at that; it seemed like the Mayor had already made up her mind about the blonde, and was fixated on trying to make Emma the bad guy. It relieved her to hear that there were still people who believed in her innocence; such as Mary Margaret and Henry. Well, at least Henry thought she was innocent before she broke the kids heart.

"Of breaking in and entry or just in general?" Emma Swan grinned, and they both laughed.

"Whatever makes you feel better."

The blonde chuckled, but then bit her lip. Well, it didn't matter what people in this town thought about her; she was leaving anyway. As soon as possible.  
She voiced this to the woman sitting at the table with her. The teacher just frowned at this information.

"I don't think you should," The brunette began hesitantly. "I mean, what happens to Henry when you leave? I think the fact you _want_ to leave, for him, should be the reason for you to stay."

"Yeah. You're right. And I should tell him that." Emma breathed already getting up from her chair. She knew where she would find him; Regina had mentioned it earlier: at therapy, with Archie.

Emma burst through the door, not bothering with the kid's privacy. But as soon as she was standing in the room, she knew that she needn't be worried. It was absolutely silent in there.

"Henry!" She almost yelled, her voice a little panicky.

"Miss Swan! I'm so sorry, it was the Mayor, she –" The psychiatrist began, but Emma held up a hand to shut him off.

"Don't bother, I get it." She said, rushing over to Henry, who was looking sullen. She took place in front of him, and watched as he shrunk back a little on the couch.

"Listen," She began hastily. "I'm sorry I said that you were crazy. You're _not_. The curse is. All of this is. But this is for Operation Cobra – if the Evil Queen thinks that we're non-believers, we can do whatever we want." She had thought of what she was going to say on the way here, and because she had to walk, she had gotten some time to do so. The kid looked up at her and beamed; he could see sense in all that she said. Emma felt relieved. She got up and held her hand out for him to take; she would walk him home.

"Archie, I would appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to Mayor Mills." The blonde whispered urgently as she stopped at the door, looking back at the shrink. Henry was already heading down the stairs.

"I promise I won't. Again, sorry for earlier today. I should've stood up to her." The man apologized once more, and she nodded, closing the door behind her.

Since Emma Swan was kicked out of that adorable little room in Granny's Bed & Breakfast, she had been forced to crash in her car; which she couldn't move because of the wheel clamp. She highly disliked camping in her car in the middle of the Main Street. Too many curious by-passers. Other than that, she was as comfortable as possible in her car; she had spent many nights in her precious little thing, she used to sleep in it when she didn't have a place to stay – much like now – and had had many stake-outs in it. She had taken a paper from inside the diner, and was now scanning the pages for open vacancies. But so far, she didn't have any luck – all the rooms in Storybrooke seemed to be rented.

A knock on the window startled her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The blonde looked up from her paper to see Mary Margaret Blanchard peeking into the car. She reached over and started rolling down the car window, as it was an old design.

"Oh, hello," She mused. "Yeah, sleeping in here doesn't compare to the places I've slept in." She chuckled inwardly at the little joke she made. She had really been through a lot.

"Wait, you're sleeping in here?" The black-haired woman seemed shocked, and Emma's smile faltered.

"Well, until I've found a place…" She mumbled, throwing the paper onto the passenger's seat beside her. "But the town doesn't seem to have any…"

It truly troubled her. She tried so hard to stay for Henry, but that damn Mayor always seemed to be a few steps ahead of her; and she wasn't used to losing a challenge.

"So, you've decided to stay then. For Henry." Miss Blanchard sounded way too happy to be just an on-looker, and this time Emma chuckled out loud.

"You know, I have a spare room, if you can't find anything." It was hesitant but certain all at once. The blonde knew that the teacher was hesitant because, well, she was very likely to decline the offer. She cringed a little at the thought of sharing an apartment with the woman standing at her car. She sighed and got out of the car, slamming the door shut; a little frustration showing in her demeanor

"I'm not the roommate kind of type, so I'll pass on this one. Thanks though," The twenty-eight-year old finally admitted. "But hey – what are you doing here so late anyway?" She thought it safe to quickly change the subject to something else, and the teacher sighed.

"I had a date." Mary Margaret sounded grim, and the blonde smiled ruefully.

"That didn't go well." It was a statement, and the other woman simply shrugged. Not that important, she guessed.

"If true love was _easy_, we'd all have it, right?" The black-haired woman said, smiling. Emma admired the woman's optimism.

"Anyway… Good night and good luck with Henry."

With those words, Mary Margaret Blanchard turned around and started walking home. Emma kept watching for a little while, pondering over the things the teacher had just said. She wondered why she had denied the woman; except for them being kind of strangers to each other. It was true that she did better on her own, she had proven that many times; but it all started feeling a little lonely to her. Maybe she should've taken the teacher up on her offer. Or perhaps not. Shrugging at her thoughts, Emma turned and scrambled back into her car. She slid back the car seat and made herself comfortable.

"Damn you, Regina." She grumbled, before she let herself drift off to dream land.

She had overslept. She realized it as soon as her eyes fluttered open. The sun was shining on her face through the window, and as soon as she moved, she knew that she was sore from the weird sleeping position. She grumbled under her breath as she rummaged through some loose clothes on her back seat; there should be something lying there that she could wear. When she failed, she decided that perhaps she could ask around for a little clothes' shop later. She removed the blouse she had worn so that she wouldn't get cold overnight, and wore her red leather jacket over her white tank top. That should do for today.

Half an hour later, Emma was sitting in the castle at the little playground with Henry for their daily rendezvous. She had a much needed cup of coffee from Granny's Diner in her hand, while the kid had his book open on his lap. He had started off by telling her that he had visited the hospital – and according to him, he had found Prince Charming. Her so-called fairy-tale father. He had rambled on and on about bringing the man and Mary Margaret together; or well, just her to him, since he was in the hospital, in a coma. Emma shook her head at the whole plan.

"Look, kid," she started, frowning deeply. "You don't even know for sure that it's him. We can't possibly spring this upon Mary Margaret – it's really hard."

She tried her best to explain to the kid why this plan would fail so badly, but he didn't bother to listen.

"They even have the same scar – in the same place!" He had already reacted to her eyebrow being raised, and she gave into the smile that was tugging at her lips.

"Fine, we'll bring them together, but we're going to do it _my_ way." She gave in, and her smile grew wider at his enthusiastic reaction.

"Go home now. I'll drop by at Miss Blanchard's." Before she could say anything else, the kid was hugging her again, and before she could even hug him back, he was already running home. She shook her head in amusement and started walking.

In only a few minutes' time, she found herself staring at Mary Margaret Blanchard's door again. She inhaled deeply and knocked. She didn't have to wait long for the woman to open the door, and Emma smiled.

"Emma!" The teacher said; her tones surprised. But nevertheless, the black-haired woman smiled and let her in.

"I'll make us some coco."

Emma Swan was clutching onto the mug of hot coco as she watched Mary Margaret's face carefully. She had just explained the whole plan to the other woman – and she seemed shocked. The blonde shot her an apologetic glance. She hadn't expected any other reaction from Mary Margaret – after all, she had just asked her to read to a coma patient. A coma patient of which Henry thought was the reader's soul mate. And he had asked her to read a story that was supposedly theirs. Crazy.

"Look, I know it's a lot to ask," Emma started almost apologetically. "But the kid's got a very active imagination. We can't just shoot him down. He needs to.. discover this himself."  
Mary Margaret nodded slowly. And then she even smiled. Emma frowned.

"I'll do it. Can't do any harm, right?" It sounded like she needed confirmation, and Emma was eager to give her that.

"Let's meet tomorrow at Granny's for a full report?" The blonde grinned openly now, as she took the book that Henry had given her from her bag. She winked as she placed the rather heavy thing on the kitchen counter.

"I suppose I'll get ready for my date, then." Mary Margaret joked, finishing the hot coco she had held. Emma, too, finished the mug, and hesitated. She really liked this place; perhaps she should've considered rooming with Miss Blanchard after all. She hit herself internally for turning the offer down right away and not taking any time to think it over. Sadly, there was nothing she could do about it right _now_, because Mary Margaret had to get ready. She placed the mug next to the book and said her goodbyes and good lucks as she walked to the door. Seemed like she was going to sleep in her car again tonight. Thank god Henry had promised her a shirt for tomorrow.

The next morning, she was thoroughly impressed. They were on their way to the hospital because, apparently, Mary Margaret had gotten through to John Doe. Emma seriously had her doubts about all of this; but she was still impressed. The man hadn't moved for twenty-eight years, according to the doctor's report, and last night he apparently _had_ after being read to. When she excused herself to put on the t-shirt Henry had just given him, the two of them made another plan: they were going to read to the coma patient again. She shook her head as she ran after the kid and the teacher, whom had waited for her return until they left for the hospital. But when they arrived at the dorm he lied on, they were informed that he was missing.  
Emma Swan groaned out loud when she saw the Mayor standing in John Doe's room. Crap. Regina Mills was looking rather unpleased, and especially when she caught sight of the blonde. Emma pursed her lips and braced herself for the inevitable upcoming clash between her and the Mayor. The twenty-eight-year old watched as the Mayor made her way over rapidly, already looking furious.

"What in hell are you doing here?" The brunette spat at Emma aggressively, before turning to her son. "And you. I thought you were at the Arcade. Are you lying to me now?"  
Before Regina could continue, the teacher interrupted her.

"What happened, Sheriff?" She asked. "Did someone take him?" She sounded very alarmed, and Emma frowned. The black-haired seemed so fond of the coma patient already.

"We don't really know." Sheriff Graham admitted, his eyes locked on the floor.

"What did you _do_?" Henry accused his mother, the Mayor, and shocked everyone standing there.

"You think I had something to do with this, Henry?" Madam Mills sounded hurt, but Emma didn't buy it.

"Well, it's damn curious that you're here, _Madam Mills_." She stated. Regina rolled her eyes openly.

"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact. I was the one who found him." The Mayor said, a smug smile on her full lips. Emma stared.

"No matter what, he should be returned to the hospital immediately," Dr. Whale said. "Or he'll be in a lot of danger." Emma grunted. Of course they were wasting time debating with the Mayor here when there was a man in danger. When she voiced this, the Mayor seemed even angrier than before.

"_We_ will take care of this," She said haughtily, "There's no need for your involvement. And as I can't keep you away from my son, I'll be keeping him away from _you_. Enjoy my shirt; it's all you're getting, _Miss Swan_."

Emma responded with a sarcastic courtesy, which only seemed to infuriate the Mayor further. With a last command for the Sheriff, she took off with Henry. The blonde stared after them for a while before she turned back to the Sheriff and Dr. Whale.

"Let's start looking?" She finally asked. 

* * *

The video tapes in the hospital had shown that John Doe had stumbled out the back door on his own. According to the staff, that door led directly to the woods. Where else.  
So that's why Emma was stomping around in the middle of the woods; at night. She had the creeps about this place, she felt like she was being watched non-stop. She wasn't alone – Graham and Mary Margaret were with her – but she still felt uneasy.  
A noise in the bushes made them turn, only for Henry to jump out. Emma was outraged; how in hell did he find them? And how had he escaped his mother's tight grasp? For real, she was going to be in _so_ much trouble when the Mayor found out. But the kid had a pretty good idea about where John Doe would be going, and now they were on their way to the Toll Bridge, which was – according to Henry – in fact the _Troll_ Bridge. Emma kept shaking her head in disbelief; that kid's imagination was getting way out of hand. And sure enough, when they reached it, they found the man lying in the water. It was Mary Margaret Blanchard who first saw him and rushed to his side. Emma, too, hurried along, but kept her distance while Mary Margaret tugged at the coma patient to turn him over. Behind her, she could hear Graham shouting for an ambulance in his walkie-talkie. The twenty-eight-year old now rushed to the man's side as well, and grabbed his legs.  
"Come on, let's get him out of the water." She yelled at Graham for help. Mary Margaret stepped aside while the Sheriff and the blonde carried him out of the water, but as soon as he was on the ground again, she was at his side again. Emma stepped back and pulled Henry into a hug. She didn't want him to look at John Doe, in case he wouldn't make it. She turned him around to face away from the scene when the teacher started performing CPR.

Emma Swan still didn't realize what exactly happened, because at some point the man had woken up. Mary Margaret had stopped trying to revive him, and had kissed him... and that's when he woke up. They had rushed him to the hospital, and that's where they were now.

"David?!" They heard a voice calling from behind them. Emma turned to watch a blonde, adult woman rush to the room where John Doe was. She rushed in, and left the rest of them startled. Soon after, they heard clicking of heels behind them; and Emma knew that sound. The Mayor.

"Who is that woman?" Mary Margaret asked, oblivious to everything but the man who had just been in a coma.

"His wife." A sly voice responded, and Emma didn't need to turn around to know the Mayor had just entered the ward. She felt the teacher stiffen in shock beside her. Emma felt sorry for Mary Margaret; she had just seen her rescue the man's life, by kissing him. Only to find out he was already taken this whole time. She cursed her plan; making her read a fairy-tale love story to him.

"His name is David Nolan, and that's his wife Kathryn," Regina Mills explained to them, when it appeared that David would be just fine. She had a smug expression on her face and Emma had to keep herself from wiping it off the Mayor's face. The blonde thought this was all so coincidental; out of nowhere, the Mayor had been able to track his wife down? After twenty-eight years of nothing?

"We'll talk about your insubordination later," The brunette was now talking to her son, and Emma felt anger flare up. She clinched the arms of the chair she was sitting in as she bit her tongue.

"Do you know what that means?" The Mayor simply continued, ignoring everyone else. Henry shook his head, and Emma didn't think he cared that much.  
"Means you're grounded."

Henry slumped back into his chair once he realized what it meant. Emma rolled her eyes quite visibly, but before she could open her mouth and defend the kid, Kathryn came out of David's room.

"Thank you," She whispered, smiling at Mary Margaret. "Thank you for saving my David."

"I don't understand," the black-haired teacher replied. "You didn't know he was here?"

And so Kathryn explained what happened twenty-eight years ago. Emma thought it was a load of crap; who would let her husband leave, just like that, and not look for him for such a long time? She suspected the Mayor had something to do with this, somehow. But she was still happy for the woman who had just found her husband again; they were reunited, after all they'd been through, and were able to get a second chance. She smiled back when Kathryn smiled at her.  
Dr. Whale approached them to tell them that David Nolan was alright, only that he had amnesia and that it would take a while to get his memories back. The Mayor beckoned Henry and started walking to the door, but the kid hesitated. Emma raised an eyebrow; what was he planning to do now?

"Don't believe them. He was looking for you," He whispered to Miss Blanchard. "You belong together."

"Henry!" He rushed out quickly.

Emma Swan had run after Regina Mills, to tell her that she didn't believe any of the crap that had just been said, and that she was going to find out what was wrong with the story. But as usual, the Mayor had an explanation ready; and something about what the brunette said, made Emma think. She was alone. And she didn't want to be alone anymore; and that's why, for the third time since she had arrived in Storybrooke, she was knocking on Mary Margaret Blanchard's door.

"Hey, I'm sorry. It's late," Emma started, when she was looking at the teacher's smiling face. "But eh, do you still have that spare room?"

Mary Margaret grinned widely as she opened the door for Emma to come in.


End file.
